The Hiddin Swing

Summary:
She never meant to, of course. It was an accident—an overwhelming, unstoppable, beautifully horrible accident. Their eyes meeting, their souls setting fire, the betrayal: none was ever planned or even wanted, in the end. Emmett/Rosalie/Dimitri

Notes:

1. Chapter 1

She never meant to, of course. It was an accident—an overwhelming, unstoppable, beautifully horrible accident. Their eyes meeting, their souls setting fire, the betrayal: none was ever planned or even wanted, in the end. Because Rosalie had another, but Emmett just suddenly wasn’t enough. She had always regretted having humanity stolen from her, even with Emmett by her side, but Dimitri was suddenly the cure to that regret. Maybe she never would hold a child of her own, but perhaps Dimitri would quench that loss. What about her Emmett, then, though? He would be shattered. He had always loved Rosalie to the best of his ability, always tried to give her everything she wanted.

So Rose had told Dimitri no, told him to run away, to let her leave and never return.

“Dimitri, I can’t—”

Dimitri, watching the torrents of agony ripple through her large, beautiful eyes, hushed her gently. “I…understand,” His voice bass voice shook as his heart reproached him for doing what he was about to do. Because he had never found someone like Rosalie, so fierce and protective, so vital and strong, he hadn’t been able to help falling in love with her, but now he was giving her up. Throwing her into the wind.

He picked up her slender hand, not daring to meet her gaze, afraid of what he would find there. Dimitri gently stroked the hand, feeling the fire race between them. “As long as it is what you want,” He finally murmured, daring to lock gaze again.

Rosalie faltered under his murky gaze. He had even given up humans for her. Dimitri had stopped the minute—the second—he had realized he loved her. Loved her more than the deliciousness he had lived upon for centuries. Animals were Dimitri’s choice, and nothing could make him go back. Not ever. Even if she did reject him.

Heat crept into her stomach under his eyes. How could she ever give him up? How had she ever survived without his touch, his words, and his arms around her? Life seemed impossible without him near her. Yet that was the very thing she was proposing right then.

Fumbling for her words, Rosalie raced through her memories, trying to recall why she wanted Dimitri gone from her sight. Emmett. Yes, she loved him—loved him for all his years holding her hand, for yanking her through the hardest parts of her life, loved him for always somehow bringing out the laughter in the darkest times. Even if it was annoying. But even now, when all that was at the front of her mind, Rose somehow managed to love Dimitri more.

“It it not what I want, but it is the only thing I can choose…” She murmured slowly, looking away from Dimitri’s beautiful face, “because I cannot…change what has been for so long,” Even to her own ears her words sounded pathetic.

Dimitri didn’t believe the words either. They still ripped at his insides, at the hollow spot his heart resided, though. “Is it because of your family? Please, Rose, the truth. I will talk to them. I will plead. I will stop at nothing—save, your word—at having your heart.”

Rosalie felt like crying, like whimpering helplessly, and like running away and forgetting it all. She drew a shaky breath and, looking down at the stone floor, answered Dimitri, “Because I love him. Not more than you. Never more than you. But enough to care that he will be devastated and lost and broken and crippled when I disappear from under his feet,” Rose couldn’t continue; her breath was too cracked and garbled to be understood after that. Because she was describing how it would be for her once Dimitri was left behind.

“And you think I won’t be?” His voice was hot and vicious—he was trying to hide the his black hurt inside of himself.

At that, Rosalie let out a small cry of pain. Imagining Dimitri the same way, lost and unsure and forsaken, hurt so much more—it made her insides blister and everything that she’d ever know shake and fall away.

Something cemented inside Dimitri at the sound of Rosalie’s hurt and total confusion. He held her face—so beautiful and soft and warm—close in his hands. Her breath, like cinnamon and water and lilies, washed over him.

“If you ever need anything—anything at all—I am here, and I love you,” He murmured fiercely.

Rosalie nodded helplessly, trapped in some spell he had cast upon her.

And then he was gone.

Rosalie crumpled into the bed they had been on, sobbing so loud, so pained. She cried harder than she’d ever cried before. More than the loss of the opportunity of child, more than the thoughts of ever losing Emmett in war—but never had she been so empty and hurt and cold.

All her beauty, all her fashions and cloths, and even her Emmett—they all drifted off into space, meaning nothing, all being forgotten in her remorse. What was a world worth without Dimitri?

What had she done?

Rose only dry sobbed harder when the bed smelled strongly of her beloved Dimitri who was lost to her forever.